This is your Nritya Geethanjali family in Redlands, California!'
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| 'Do you wonder who these people are? This is your Nritya Geethanjali family in Redlands, California!' |
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It's the 19th of August today and like every other year, there will be celebrations at Nritya Geethanjali. Of all the years, I remember last year the most... probably because it was Aunty's Amrutotsav and the occasion brought us all together for one cause... to celebrate her 75th birthday. Exactly a year ago, I was there eating the yummy cake and singing alongwith everyone, Happy Birthday dear Aunty, when we all synchronically looked at her finger, pointing up to tell us to take the high note ! We all enjoyed the celebration so much, senior students, juniors, parents, friends and family and I think I made the most of it. Probably because I knew that I'd be away the next year and write this birthday message, from across the seven seas. Dearest Aunty, here's wishing you a happy birthday and joining me in my Namaskaram are Ganesh, Meena, Sanjay, Manisha, Aakansha, Tulsi, Anjana, Kirit, Varsha, Vaibhavi, Bhavesh, Shivani, Maya, Lavanya, Jigna and Vinita. Do you wonder who these people are ? This is your Nritya Geethanjali family in Redlands, California ! We are so thankful to the Almighty, to have blessed us with a Guru who is you. You have, in innumerable ways, guided my life, to what I am today. I thank you Aunty, first, for making my mother's dream, of making me a Bharatanatyam dancer, come true. I can most certainly vouch for similar feelings from all the other mothers, who are gathered at SIES today. On this special day, I want to thank you for giving me my life's most treasured people - my friends, juniors and seniors in class. You have inculcated in us, the virtues of learning together, of sharing, of taking on responsibilities, of managing time. You have taught us so many dances and songs, that we never have to wonder how we could fill up a dance routine, without repeating an item. Through you, we have gained cultural values and I know Indian mythology and my prayers, because of you. While I was trying to put my thoughts together and remember a few anecdotes... I realise that there was not one or two, but several incidents. As a matter of fact, every class was a lesson by itself. Starting from our Namaskaram with the Guru Brahma prayer, the stories that you'd tell us about the sahityam of a dance, the nattuvangam math that you'd make us do during Tillana, the scolding when we were sluggish and lazy, your repeated and never-giving-up coaxing, to make us bend in aramandi, when we don't. Your eyes would peek at us and correct our wrong movements, no matter in which corner of the hall we would try to hide ! Your continuous encouragement would make us partake in different events and programmes. Your thorough knowledge in all walks of life always increased the respect I have for you and it inspires me to keep learning ! Aunty, on this auspicious day, I pray to God to give you good health and lots of happy years, so that many more Raginis could have the privilege of learning from you ! Happy Birthday, Aunty !
Your loving shishya, |
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